To New Heights: Discombobulated
by sodonewithlife
Summary: Together, Pepper and Tony Stark are an iconic couple throughout much of the world. However, the circumstances that ended up bringing them together are only known to a select few, and it seems that Pepper's past situation is requiring the Avengers' intervention, and consequently her own involvement. At least she has her makeshift family supporting her. Part 2 of To New Heights
1. Prologue

_June 25th, 2010, Hogwarts, Headmaster's Office_

"I call this meeting of the Order of the Phoenix to order!"

The room immediately silenced, as Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore stood up, the lack of a twinkle in his grandfatherly eyes putting everyone on guard _(they were all nervous. this was the first meeting in 15 years)_. He continued,

"I have three things to announce today. First of all, it has come to my attention that Sirius Black is innocent." Immediately, the room went into an uproar- an innocent man in Azkaban for 14 years? They were quickly silenced when Dumbledore shot sparks from his faithful wand.

"Peter Pettigrew was the true Secret-Keeper for the Potters. Sirius was the decoy, as he was the most obvious choice. However, it turns out that Mr. Pettigrew was a spy for the Dark, evidenced by that fateful night 14 years ago. He framed Sirius by cutting off his own finger and shifting into his Animagus form."

The room broke out into whispers, the members incredulous at the notion that Pettigrew was the traitor. They quickly died down; after all, Dumbledore had to be right.

"Now, the second matter." Dumbledore paused, a grave look on his face. "I'm afraid to say that Miss Potter has disappeared." This once again threw the room into chaos, everyone shouting over each other, asking questions and demanding answers. It was a while before the room quieted, and when it did they looked to Dumbledore, waiting for him to go on.

"As you all know, the Third Task of the Triwizard Tournament was but a few hours ago. Miss Potter has yet to return, but the body of Cedric Diggory appeared out of the maze. I have looked into this myself, and I'm afraid there's even worse news," he paused for dramatic effect. "Lord Voldemort has returned."

This time, the room seemed to cool a few degrees, everyone looking terrified. Dumbledore continued, "Unfortunately, the Minister doesn't want to believe this, and I expect that he will launch a smear campaign against me." A few people began to protest and defend him, but Dumbledore quickly assured them with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Do not worry, Cornelius will realize the truth sooner or later. My reputation is in no danger." His eyes hardened, "However, I fear that difficult times are coming. Without Miss Potter, we cannot defeat Lord Voldemort. It is imperative that we find her and bring her back to where she belongs."

* * *

**THE GIRL-WHO-LIVED: MISSING?**

_September 2nd, 2010, Hogwarts_

My dear readers, I'm afraid to say that I have some terrible news for you. Miss Harriet Lillian Potter has disappeared. She did not appear at the Hogwarts Welcoming Feast yesterday, and was reportedly not on the train, either.

As I am loyal to my readers, I thought it my duty to do some investigation, and what I found is absolutely shocking. I'm sure you all remember that night when Miss Potter didn't return from the maze. We were all told that she was found in critical condition and was receiving medical attention. However, the truth is much more disturbing: apparently, Miss Potter disappeared the night of the Third Task!

I cannot conceive how this happened, but I beg of you, dear readers, if you have seen Miss Potter please report it to the Ministry. I know I can speak for many others when I say we hope that Miss Potter is found and brought back to Britain.

\- Rita Skeeter, correspondent to the Daily Prophet

* * *

**SUDDEN ATTACKS ON MULTIPLE MUGGLE TOWNS**

_December 20th, 2010, London_

My dear readers, I have some disturbing news for you. Last night, seven Muggle towns were attacked in what seems to be a planned assault. I'm sure you are all wondering, why is this so disturbing? I know I wondered when I first found out. However, the attacks were reportedly by magicals.

Yes, you read me right: seven Muggle towns were attacked by magical means last night in a coordinated attack. The Aurors received reports of multiple uses of magic in Muggle areas and arrived at the towns to find people in dark cloaks firing spells at random.

I personally find this uncannily similar to the attacks in the last Wizarding War before You-Know-Who's defeat at the hands of the Girl-Who-Lived. Because of this, I cannot help but speculate: is the rise of Dark wizards happening again? Could You-Know-Who be back? I remember hearing many rumors that his body was never found at the Potter Family's cottage in Godric's Hollow, however, I cannot fathom how he could have disappeared for 14 years then return. I, for one, sincerely hope that this is proven to be an unfounded fear.

However, thinking about this, I could not help but think: could the disappearance of our Savior be caused by You-Know-Who or his followers? Again, I hope that this will be proven to be an unfounded fear and that our Savior is found and returned.

\- Rita Skeeter, correspondent to the Daily Prophet

* * *

**RETURN OF THE DARK LORD YOU-KNOW-WHO**

_April 13th, 2011, Ministry of Magic_

My dear readers, I'm afraid you read that title right.

The Dark Lord He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has returned, as confirmed by the Ministry of Magic late last night.

It seems that he has been back since late June, and the first of the many attacks around this country happened, as I'm sure you all remember, in December. Within these past couple of months, attacks on Muggle towns and cities have dramatically increased, running our hardworking Aurors ragged trying to counter them and protect our society. It wasn't until March when we first learned that the Dark Mark was being cast after the attacks, but the Ministry could not confirm if these attacks are due to You-Know-Who or possible a resurgence of blood supremacy.

(For those who are unfamiliar with the term, the Dark Mark is a calling card of You-Know-Who's followers, also known as Death Eaters.)

Unfortunately, it seems that these attacks were indeed because of the return of You-Know-Who. Last night, in the Ministry, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was spotted dueling Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, in the Atrium. Upon seeing the Ministry officials, You-Know-Who quickly disappeared; many Death Eaters were found bound in the Department of Mysteries. What was shocking was the identities of these Death Eaters, most notable names being Malfoy, Avery, Crabbe Sr, Goyle Sr, Macnair, and Nott Sr. They are all very high-profile members of society, and if you remember, they claimed the Imperius Curse at the end of the last war.

With these revelations, we must ask ourselves: why was this allowed? Is our government so incompetent that they let the accused of the last war claim Imperius as their defense without any other evidence? Could Minister Fudge be completely aware of this situation as but chose to ignore it?

\- Rita Skeeter, correspondent to the Daily Prophet

_For more on the last war, go to page 2_

_For more on the Death Eater attacks, go to page 4_

_For more on the issues within the government, go to page 6_

* * *

**AN**

I AM FINALLY FREE FROM THE HELL THAT IS SCHOOL!

I've pre-written this and the next 3 chapters of this part just to give me time to continue working on the next chapters. I'll be honest and say I really don't have a solid idea of where this is going to go, so we'll see what happens and whatever comes to my brain.

Anywayyyyyy, I hope to have at least one chapter uploaded per week and I might have the first official chapter uploaded this weekend. PLEASE let me know your opinions about where this seems to be going, and this is the result of the free bits of Grammarly, so do let me know if there are any errors.

ALSO: expect plot holes. This is a self indulgent fic, so just bear with me.


	2. Return

_July 31st, 2010, London_

Pepper stood across the street from the Leaky Cauldron with a look of distaste on her face. It's been years since she last came, and it's as decrepit as ever, especially compared to the renovated buildings beside it.

The people going inside it really stick out from the rest of the people walking by- how the British Wix society hasn't realized how exposed they are is quite mind-boggling).

_(It's common knowledge to the normal people that there is some kind of "secret society" in Britain, which the British Government neither confirms or denies anything. Everyone pretty much ignores them and mocks them in the press- Pepper finds it hilarious.)_

As she made her way into the building, she internally thanked Tony for reminding her to shift her features before she Apparated to London and transfigured her clothing into something more "elaborate" and that would belong to a British witch of high standing (wandlessly, of course, but she pulled out a fake one to keep up the facade.) She really hates these clothes, but it is a necessary evil for today's visit.

Ignoring the eyes she could feel on her (mostly males leering at her, a bunch of misogynist fucks) she made her way into Diagon Alley and was instantly bombarded with noise and chaos. At least it's not directed at her personally.

Being an unfamiliar face, she was able to quickly make her way to Gringotts, where she met her account manager, both barely holding back smirks at the whispers of the other people in the bank. It wasn't until they were in Gornuk's office that someone spoke up.

"I must say, Mrs. Stark, the Horde was quite shocked at the letter you sent through our branches in the States," Pepper smirked, amusement shining in her eyes.

"It has been 14 years since I last set foot in Diagon Alley, and figured that I might as well cause some chaos, especially with the Third Task being a month ago."

Gornuk grinned, which would be quite terrifying to anyone else but Pepper was too used to this despite it being over a decade since she last saw him. "The bumblebee has been trying to pass off your disappearance as you being found heavily injured and in critical condition. He's also saying that the Dark Lord's returned, which is causing the Ministry and in turn, the rest of the community, to slander his name."

Neither looked particularly bothered by that bit; there was no love between them for the Headmaster. Gornuk continued, "Now, onto business. You didn't specify what exactly you came for, but I am guessing that you want to claim your inheritance." Pepper nodded, then elaborated.

"If it's possible, I want to keep the fact that the Potter and Black titles have been claimed a secret, and publicize the claim on the Peverell family." Gornick nodded, then pulled out the ring boxes for each family.

"These can take whatever form you wish for them to take; necklace, bracelet, ring, etc. There are also consort rings in the boxes as well, should you wish to use them," Gornuk paused as Pepper put them on, then continued. "Now, Lady Peverell, how would you like to deal with your Wizengamot seats? I can't imagine you would be sitting in them or have anyone here act as your proxy."

Pepper smiled. "Mrs. Stark will do. Actually, I would like to leave them unoccupied for now, just to add a bit more chaos. I do believe that I will have someone by the end of this year."

"That can be arranged. Is there anything else, Mrs. Stark?"

"That is all for today, though I would like for you to help me get the chaos started," Gornuk smirked

"What do you have in mind?"

* * *

Word had spread of the unfamiliar lady who was clearly of high standing and on good terms with the goblins. Many had gathered in the lobby in hopes of catching a glimpse of the newcomer, as they were quite rare in the community.

The goblins normally would have kicked them out, but they all knew about the illustrious visitor, and it was an unspoken agreement that they would allow the crowds this once to see the reactions, which were probably going to be quite memorable.

The lobby suddenly quieted a bit, as the object of their interest appeared with the goblin she left with, seemingly conversing in the goblin language. She laughed as she turned to him and bid him farewell in English. The goblin smirked, reciprocating the gesture, replying,

"And may your enemies fall at your feet, Lady Peverell."

She smirked and disapparated, leaving behind a room of chaos.

The Peverell family has been dormant for centuries, and suddenly, someone new turns up and claims the title. No one could dispute it, for if the goblins acknowledge it then it must be true. The thing is, no one knows who she is. Her political affiliation is unknown, her beliefs are unknown, her blood status is unknown, everything about her is unknown. They could only learn those things at the next Wizangamot meeting.

It's a pity that no one new showed up at that meeting, which was fraught with tension and anticipation for the new member. Meetings would be like that for the next two and a half years, with new rumors and speculation being spawned every day. It would die down with the revelation of Voldemort's resurrection before it reignited with the arrival of outside help in the war.

* * *

_[Same day], Malibu, CA_

"Sir, Mrs. Stark has returned and is in the living room."

"Alright, JARVIS, save my progress for later." Tony quickly wiped his hands and made his way to his wife.

"How was it?" Pepper, back in her natural form, looked at him with a glint in her eyes.

"It went perfectly. I imagine the sheeple are running around in chaos right now." She paused as Tony sat down next to her, leaning on him. "The Horde is going to send messages and updates to the branch here in the States, so Fury and MACUSA have access to more info. They are also opening up more communications with the British SIS. I don't think we will have any more involvement in those affairs."

Tony pulled her closer, knowing that while she was quite eager to cause chaos in the community that used and abused her, she also wanted to have no involvement whatsoever and leave that part of her life behind. While her desire to cause chaos was stronger than her reluctance to get involved, trauma doesn't always go away even after 14 years.

* * *

**AN**

I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter! As usual, do let me know if there are any grammatical/spelling errors.

Have a great day!


	3. Reflection

_November 13th, 2012, Department of Magical Law Enforcement_

Amelia Bones rubbed her forehead in an attempt to stave off the oncoming headache. She stood up and went to her hidden liquor cabinet _(it's how she survives the absolute idiocy, incompetence, and insipidness that is the British Wizarding Society)_. Taking out a glass and an almost-empty bottle of premium Russian vodka, she went back to her desk and poured out the remainder of the bottle. Taking a sip, she started to think back on the events of the past (nearly) two years

It didn't take long after Voldemort's reveal for Fudge to be sacked, but his successor was no better than him. Rufus Scrimgeour was a former Auror, but it seemed that he was more focused on public opinion than actually doing something; he was quite interested in locating Miss Potter.

It took another few months for more funding and freedom allotted to the Aurors, the DMLE having been incredibly limited in resources and funding. The Aurors were also quite held back due to lack of training, which was also due to the lack of funding. It took another few months for the Aurors to be considered well-trained, and even then they struggled against a small group of Death Eaters. If only the magicals would realize that limiting the kinds of magic an Auror could use is highly detrimental to the war effort.

However, her current headache was not because of the Ministry, but because of one Albus Too-Many-Names Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, and former Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards _(he was kicked out after a unanimous vote- people considered him too old and senile. There were considerable and frankly quite worrying amounts of outrage at that within the British Magical community)_.

It took a year and a half for the old man to start working with the DMLE in this war, and this was only after Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade were attacked on the 31st, despite numerous attacks since December 2010.

Even now, he still had the mentality that he could redeem every Death Eater, despite many of them showing no remorse and were clearly not under the Imperius. She still doesn't know what he was thinking when he vouched for that Snape character at the end of the last war and employed him at Hogwarts. Unfortunately, Dumbledore is too set in his beliefs to see differently and the necessity of lethal force.

What also astounded her, when she met with him when the two groups started working together, was his utter belief that he would "find Miss Potter and bring her back where she belongs." When she first heard him say that, she had to quickly make her facial expression impassive. She never liked him, but she was appalled at his statement and clear obsession with finding Miss Potter.

Something the really disturbed her was his reluctance to tell her the reason for his obsession. Amelia knows about the prophecy, of course, but she has never put much stock in Divination. That prophecy was apparently given by Sybill Trelawney, a woman who has never shown an ounce of ability in that branch of magic. However, she could tell that there was a much deeper reason, one that she was almost afraid to find out.

Despite all of this, she couldn't help but find amusement in the situation. Dumbledore, in his arrogance, wasn't thinking of asking for the DMLE's help in finding Miss Potter. Though had he asked for help, Amelia wouldn't make it easy for him. She found the Order's _(yes, she knows about that vigilante organization, they are not subtle)_ goose hunt quite hilarious as they all assume they know where she would be, searching for a Miss Harriet Lillian Potter.

Amelia snorted before finishing the glass of vodka she had poured for herself. The Order wouldn't ever be able to find Harriet Lillian Potter; that is a completely fabricated identity created by _someone_ (read: Dumbledore). Making a decision, she stood up, gathered her things, and made her way out of the Ministry to the Apparition points; a second later, she was in the office of her highly warded and secured London flat. Dropping her bag onto her desk, she pulled out a laptop and began typing out an encrypted message to her superiors.

_It really is funny how blind the Magical Community can be to the mundane society._

* * *

November 13th, 2012, SHIELD Helicarrier

"Director, we received a message from Agent Clarke." Phil Coulson entered Director Fury's office holding a tablet, looking and feeling slightly disturbed. Fury quickly motioned him inside as he entered a few commands into his computer, making his office a dead zone.

"Show me." Coulson handed the tablet to him and watched as Fury's eyebrows went up as he read the message. He looked up, face seemingly impassive but he could see the unsettled look in his eye. Fury put the tablet down, leaned back, and motioned for Coulson to sit.

"I do believe you found that just as unsettling as I do, Phil." They exchanged a look. The situation was getting out of hand; the UK intelligence services were getting restless (not that they weren't restless before). Normal civilians were beginning to get suspicious; thankfully the general consensus put the events down to rogue mutants. Thankfully, any suspicion against mutants wasn't anything major- the publicity of the Avengers and many other superhero groups around the world changed many people's perspectives.

Phil spoke up, "The situation has gotten out of hand. Too many people are getting suspicious," he paused, then continued with less certainty. "Should we bring _them_ into this?"

Fury sighed. "You and I both know the… experiences _she's_ had with this particular group. But, I really don't see an alternative. Yes, I would like to avoid that _particular_ minefield, but this may get them enough international attention for the SIS to force change and integration." He shook his head, already feeling a headache coming.

"We'll bring this up with them, let them choose, and hope that this doesn't turn out to be too much of a clusterfuck."

* * *

**AN**

Kind of an interlude(?) before we get back to the Avengers in New York. Anyway, I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter. As of now, I'm not sure how big of a role Amelia Bones will have in the story but she's probably going to remain a supporting character.

As usual, constructive criticism is highly welcome, hope y'all have a good day!


	4. Unfortunate

_January 4th, 2013, Stark Tower, NY_

"Sir, Director Fury is asking for entrance into the lab. Agent Coulson is with him."

Tony straightened, putting his tools down onto his workbench and wiped his hands, his brow furrowed.

"Let him in," he said, leaning against the table. The doors opened, and Fury and Coulson quickly entered, the latter holding a file and both wearing seemingly blank expressions. However, Tony could tell that there was something bothering them. "What's up?"

"Where's Pepper? She should be here for this," Coulson asked. Tony felt trepidation, as they had all agreed that Pepper would only be called in for specific situations.

"She's in California, she should have just finished meeting with the LA department heads," he spoke the last part absentmindedly as he quickly went inside his mindscape to the link between their minds, sending a feeling of urgency.

A second later, Pepper appeared in the lab, tense and a look of confusion and worry on her face. Spotting Fury and Coulson, she relaxed slightly but remained tense in trepidation. "What's going on?"

"I don't know, they just told me to get you for this," Tony spoke, motioning them to the table to the side. "This an Avengers matter?"

Fury and Coulson shared a look, and Fury spoke up, "We don't know. It's up to you to decide, given the nature of this… situation."

"It falls under the CTL category, doesn't it," Tony stated. It wasn't a question. Coulson sighed, not needing to answer, and explained the situation.

"You know we've been getting updates about the situation from the goblins as well as through Agent Clarke. She sent an update yesterday, and well, I think it's better if you read it yourself." He gave the Starks the tablet to read from.

_Mission Update: January 3rd, 2013_

_Agent: Clarke_

_Location: London, England, United Kingdom_

_I have been given authority to request help from the sensible world- emergency Meeting of the Fools was called. Still searching for the Cross and not giving a reason why, and unaware of the financial changes. The Lion is still focused on PR but has finally increased DMLE funding, but not by much. He is also searching for the Cross for PR reasons. Attacks by the Eaters have increased- increased suspicion?- still insist on nonlethal responses. Bumblebee and Lion are highly fixated on finding the Cross, seemingly more so than fighting the Eaters._

_Situation unlikely to improve, intervention requested from the super-secret-boy-band._

"This came after a couple of months of silence from Agent Clarke after letting us know about slowly increasing attacks on baseline areas of England and more populated CTL areas."

Tony placed the tablet down. "Why are we getting involved?" He had an idea but wanted to know Fury's reasoning.

"Public speculation in England is that there is a rogue group of mutants or something to do with the 'hidden society' that everyone knows about. While that isn't too much of a worry for us, we'd rather not reignite the anti-mutant groups. MACUSA doesn't want to get their teams involved yet, and it's generally agreed in the ICW that the British magicals need to get exposed… "

"And, involving an already high profile team ensures that there is international attention on the community, which allows the British SIS and other countries to enforce change and integration," Pepper finished.

"Yes. Believe me when I say I wish there was another way, but they are unlikely to be successful. At this point, involving the Avengers is our best course of action." Coulson said apologetically.

Pepper sighed, leaning into Tony. "There's a meeting in London tomorrow. We planned to get there today and leave right after, but we'll take the vacation and formally introduce Lord and Lady Peverell into the political scene." Tony nodded, hating the situation but understanding the reasons.

"You know we'll have to tell the Avengers about CTL, right? Do they have the clearance?"

"MACUSA gave the go-ahead last night."

Pepper sat up, after sharing a look with Tony. "We planned to leave after dinner, but I think we should just leave in 4 hours, just so we can get everything arranged. I suggest holding off on telling the rest of the team until we get the ball rolling in the Ministry."

After a few more minutes of discussion, Fury and Coulson left, leaving Tony and Pepper behind.

"You ready for this?" Tony asked, knowing the pain his wife experienced in the past.

She sighed, "I don't think I ever will, but I'm mostly just focusing on the fact that I can finally do things on my own terms now without having to dumb myself down. You?"

"I can't wait for them to be forced into the open, but I'm just nervous about the team's reactions to… everything."

"We'll get through it together."

* * *

_January 10th, 2013, SHIELD Helicarrier_

"Director, what's going on?" Steve asked, voicing the question the team had on their minds. Fury had sent for them an hour ago, and they have been waiting in the conference room since then. Everyone on the team (even Thor) was there, except for Tony who they know is on a business trip to London.

Fury didn't answer, still seemingly waiting for someone, who turned out to be Agent Coulson.

"They just sent the go-ahead and said that the meeting went as predicted." Fury nodded as Coulson closed the door behind him.

"Wait, what about Tony? Shouldn't this wait until he's back from London?" Steve asked, voicing the question the rest of the team had on their minds. No one was sure about the relationship between SHIELD and the Stark couple, but they didn't think that it was so bad that Fury would purposely exclude Tony from a briefing.

"Tony _and_ Pepper have already been briefed before they left to London- and yes, Pepper as well," Coulson assured them but didn't explain more.

Fury turned to the team, "After this briefing, you are to go pack enough things to last you a mission that's predicted to take around 1-2 months in the UK." He ignored the confused looks and continued. "We have arranged with the other teams to take care of this area while you take care of the mission."

He motioned for Coulson's files, sliding them across the table to the team. "Read these on your way to London, it's basically what I'm about to tell you now but in more detail."

They quickly took the files, distracted at Coulson's quiet conversation into an earpiece. They were curious as to the other party, but quickly focused on Fury, who seemed… _worried_? There wasn't any time to dwell on it as Fury quickly began.

"There is a community in almost every country that consists of humans who have a genetic predisposition for magic. In many countries, even in some developing ones, their respective community has come out as a subdivision of mutants and have been integrated into baseline society like any other mutant group.

Here in the States and some other countries, there is a separate department in the main government dedicated to governing this community, but they ultimately answer to the leader of the country. The American version is MACUSA, the Magical Congress of the United States of America.

For international affairs, there is the International Confederation of Wizards, which is essentially part of the UN. This organization has been trying to help the whole magical community integrate into the rest of the world as well as act as the magical version of the UN. There is a section of SHIELD that we call CTL- Clarke's Third Law- that is entirely made up of magicals who act as liaisons between the mundane and magical governments."

Fury stopped, waiting for the team to digest the information, then continued. "There are a few communities that are heavily resistant to integration and change, mostly due to instability in the baseline government in society. However, the worst is the one in Britain, which is currently in a civil war right now. SHIELD has been receiving updates on the situation before it started, since August 2010."

Most of the team have had some degree of interaction with the Magical community, but the extent of the society truly surprised them. Even Thor, who has long since known about this society as it was the Asgardians who taught them magic, was surprised at the extent of this community.

However, the more that Fury told them the more disgust they felt at the state of affairs in the British enclaves. _The level of arrogance that is required for them to have this much… confidence in their abilities… is absolutely ridiculous._

There was silence in the room when Fury finished, the team still trying and failing to understand the British enclaves' reasoning and beliefs. After a few moments, Coulson, who seemed to have finished the call some time ago and has been evaluating the team's reactions, spoke up.

"One of our agents from CTL has been undercover for years, we refer to her as Agent Clarke given her long term assignment- she and a few other people in London who have just gotten the ball rolling for this mission will explain the intricacies that can't go on your briefing packet."

"I think it should go without saying that you are to listen to their advice and trust their experience in interacting with the community." Fury interrupted, waiting for everyone to nod their assent.

Satisfied, he nodded at Coulson, who continued, "Plan to leave in a few hours so you can get there around 7 PM GMT, the flight by Quinjet shouldn't take more than a few hours. We will have agents waiting to take you to where you will be staying for a few days before leaving for another location that will remain undisclosed for now. Don't bother bringing your suits."

The team nodded- though put slightly off-kilter at the unusually vague briefing and the (also unusually vague) request to leave their suits behind- and left the room to prepare, leaving Fury and Coulson alone in the room. Fury sighed.

"Let's hope this works out. How are our favorite lovebirds?" He addressed Coulson, who smiled minutely.

"They are doing well, considering the circumstances. There weren't any major complications, and I think that, despite their history, they are quite eager for this chance to bring them down." Coulson walked over and sat across from Fury, a glint appearing in his eye.

"They sent over the recording of the meeting for our enjoyment."

The agents near the conference room shuddered and quickly walked away- hearing Fury laugh is unnerving even to the most experienced of agents and downright terrifying to the newbies.

* * *

**AN**

Updated a day later than planned, sorry about that, I was out of the house all day yesterday (I should really stop signing up for morning volunteer shifts, it's hell waking up that early)

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the build-up to the main storyline! I'm not sure how vague I made Fury's briefing, so do let me know any questions you have just to remind me what I haven't explained- I'm already struggling with keeping track of what the readers know and what I, as the author, know! (yikes, I should probably put it in a doc :| ).

Constructive criticism is highly welcome, have a good day y'all!


	5. Unexpected

It's rare for the British Magical Society to have new faces in the upper echelons of society and political institutions such as the Wizengamot. This is why, when there was an unfamiliar young woman spotted in Diagon Alley a few years ago, the community immediately fell into gossip and speculation that was only compounded when people claimed to have witnessed her interaction with the goblins at Gringotts and was called Lady Peverell.

The possibility of the reappearance of the Peverell family threw Magical Britain into a tizzy, trying to figure out everything about the Lady. Who is she, other than Lady Peverell? What are her political affiliations? Is she a Dark, Grey, or Light witch? What is her blood status? Is she in a relationship? What does she believe? Public figures from both the Dark and Light sides scrambled to find out more information about her from the goblins, only stopping when another rebellion was threatened. The Grey faction didn't bother, knowing that, if the rumors that she was a Friend were true, it would be pointless as goblins protected Friends fiercely.

_(The fact that seems to have conveniently slipped the minds of most of Wizarding Britain is that the Peverell family has always been staunchly Neutral. Stories passed down within the political families tell of the family standing firmly in the Grey faction even during conflicts between the Light and Dark, seemingly staying uninvolved but actually staying in the shadows to strengthen the power of the Neutrals.)_

This speculation lasted well over a year, only dying down when news of Voldemort's return became public knowledge. However, it reignited a few days ago with the reappearance of the elusive Lady in Gringotts, apparently for a meeting, though this time she wasn't alone but with another unfamiliar male.

_(a lot of people were disappointed to hear that- everyone was talking about the looks of the Lady after her first appearance and many were already planning to find ways to get her into their beds; the men were especially ambitious given the amount of power she has with the Peverell name)_

Whatever it was, it seemed that the goblins were quite pleased with the results given their mood in the days leading up to the first official Wizengamot meeting of the year. This set many people on edge, as to them, a suspiciously happy goblin nation rarely meant anything good for the rest of British magical society. That fact slipped off everyone's minds with the opening of the new Wizengamot session, everyone only impatiently waiting to see the mood of the political circles in order to increase their standing.

* * *

_January 10th, 2013, Wizengamot Chambers_

"I declare the 2097th session of the esteemed body of the Wizengamot to order!"

In the middle of the room was a plinth with a glass ritual bowl and a dagger, both dating back to the creation of the Wizengamot. As soon as Dumbledore opened the meeting, the bowl and dagger glowed, signaling the opening of the session.

The chattering of each faction quickly silenced- they may not like Dumbledore, but they do respect the integrity of the chamber. The atmosphere was charged; it was the first meeting of the year and also followed a major attack on New Year's Eve on Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. Even the chattering of the members of the public subsided- normally, there would still be conversations going on in the box, but it was completely silent. Everyone, even Dumbledore, was on edge for some reason or another.

Dumbledore continued on, going through the standard list of announcements, identifying the number of Aurors and Unspeakables inside and outside the chamber, going through the planned itinerary.

"- I ask that anyone that is here in a capacity separate from their status as members of this esteemed body please declare themselves and their status for this meeting."

While it isn't uncommon for high ranking members of the Ministry to declare themselves at this point, it is usually during other sessions- which is why when Lady Amelia Bones of the Noble and Ancient House of Bones stood up from her seat in the Neutral section. Instantly mutters were heard but were quickly quelled by a single glare from the formidable woman.

"Let it be known to Magic that I am here today in my capacity as the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement for the English Ministry of Magic, not only as the Lady of House Bones." The plinth glowed in acceptance, and Lady Bones sat back down in silence.

When no one else stood up, Dumbledore continued, "I call forth any who wish to declare their membership in this esteemed Body. Let this Body bring forth the Magic to judge their claim."

While normally, they would quickly move on from this order of business, some felt that they wouldn't be doing that today. The select few were proven right when s swell of power was felt throughout the Wizengamot, startling everyone else. It had been years since there's been anyone who's wanted to claim a seat on the body.

Magic remained in the air, and it felt- _excited_? Magic's semi-sentience was well known to every witch and wizard, but no one had ever witnessed it for themselves- not even Dumbledore. The ritual bowl on the plinth started to glow faintly, the only warning they had before the doors opened to reveal a man, unfamiliar to all but one, walking in with an aura of authority and power. When he got to the plinth, he stopped and grabbed the knife, drawing blood that fell into the ritual bowl. Those close to the front watched with wide eyes as the wound closed right in front of their eyes, with no noticeable healing spell cast.

"Magic of the Wizengamot, hear my claim. By permission granted by its Head, I, Alessandro Luca, claim in absentee Proxy Head and the seat of the Most Noble and Ancient House of Black," he paused, a wicked look in his eyes, then continued, "and, by permission granted by its Head, I claim in absentee Proxy Head and the seat of the Most Noble and Ancient House of Potter."

Dead.

_Silence._

"My command has been answered, my claim heard, so is witnessed, so mote it be. _Neutrum suscipe verba Dei!_"

There was a flash, signaling the acceptance of the claim, and a new seat appeared in the Neutral section as the Black and Potter crests proudly flashed above it.

The Light and Dark factions erupted while their respective leaders sitting in shocked silence. Anyone who knew even the slightest bit about Wizengamot history knows that House Black and House Potter have always been political powerhouses. The magnitude of their power was only increased with the creation of the Potter-Black-Peverell Alliance, a group that was, crudely put, intimidating as _fuck_.

What really caused the chaos was the fact that it was the _Black_ and _Potter_ houses that were claimed- as far as anyone knew, the last heir of House Black was Sirius Black who was known to be a traitor and mass murderer, and the last heir of House Potter was the missing Harriet Lillian Potter, the Girl-Who-Lived. And now, there was a mysterious man who was granted permission by the _heads_ of both houses to act as their proxy? This meant that someone else had already claimed those titles, effectively rendering the plans of the Dark and Light side useless.

As quick as the room descended into chaos, the room went back to silence as everyone noticed the man- no, _Lord Black-_ was still standing in the center of the chamber as if waiting for something- or rather some_one. _There was a clear air of trepidation surrounding the Light and Dark factions, while the Neutrals hid their anticipation better.

That some_one_ walked in, straight-backed and wearing a simple yet elegant black robe. Everyone recognized her, even though they only saw her in hastily taken photos that were in every newspaper and gossip magazine that was published after her first appearance two and a half years ago.

It was the enigmatic Lady Peverell.

* * *

**AN**

Does that count as a cliffhanger? :)

While I'm kinda iffy about the movie, I absolutely love Vinda Rosier and her looks/fashion in Crimes of Grindelwald, so I kinda use her looks as how I visualize the Lady Peverell identity.

Anyway, I hope y'all enjoyed the first part of the Wizengamot meeting, I promise the next chapter will pick up from right where I left off. As usual, let me know if there are any mistakes in my writing, constructive criticism highly welcome here!

Have a great day!


	6. Precipice

Silence reigned in the room, only interrupted by the footsteps of the two newcomers. The Lords and Ladies of the Wizengamot watched the unfolding interaction in shock.

As soon as the Lady walked in, the grinning Lord walked up to her and stopped a few feet away from her and spoke in greeting, "My Lady."

The rest of the room watched in shock as the Lady rolled her eyes playfully, unable to hold back a smile, as the Lord bowed and kissed the back of her hand.

"My Lord," she responded. They made eye contact with each other, and the Lord stepped back as the Lady began to walk to the ritual bowl and knife. She pressed the blade into her finger, drawing blood that she let fall into the bowl.

"Magic of the Wizengamot, hear my claim. I, Brienne Lyanna, claim Head and the seat of the Most Noble and Ancient House of Peverell."

She paused, quickly gauging the reactions of the people in the chamber. She knew, of course, the rumors and gossip that surrounded her only two appearances in Magical Britain and had spent quite a bit of time dying of laughter at the public running around like chickens with their heads cut off. She continued, "My command has been answered, my claim heard, so is witnessed, so mote it be. _Neutrum suscipe verba Dei!_"

The acceptance of her declaration was signalled by a flash, a new seat appearing right next to the seat of the new Lord of Houses Potter and Black in the Neutral section. While the newer members of the Light were somewhat apprehensive about this new development, the sheer magnitude of what just occurred did not register. However, the main members of the Light and most of the Dark watched in trepidation as the two clearly acquainted newcomers made their way to their seats in their section. Today, the seats of three _neutral_ political powerhouses clearly allied with each other were claimed.

The Potter-Black-Peverell Alliance was revived.

* * *

It took some time for anyone- even Dumbledore- to recover, and when he did, the meeting continued as normal as it could be, given the return of the three powerhouses. Many looks were thrown towards the Lord and Lady sitting in the higher sections of the chamber.

The leaders of the Light and Dark had hopes that they would prove to be inexperienced and naive but were quickly proven wrong as the pair quickly showed that they are well informed and well versed in the language of politics. Together, they managed to increase the budget allotted to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and managed to settle a plethora of issues that could be considered unimportant but normally would take up most of the meeting.

There wasn't much drama in the remainder of the meeting, and before anyone knew it, the meeting was over. Immediately, the newest members walked towards the exit, their presence easily parting the crowd. To the shock of most, Lady Bones joined them, and the lack of introductions told everyone that the three were already well acquainted with one another.

Most quickly went home to spread the word about the two newcomers, and the members of the press immediately went to their offices to churn out as much gossip as possible. Most were still reeling from the power shift that occurred, and smaller alliances called for their own meetings after the session to discuss the newest development and how to proceed.

While all of this was happening, the leaders of each faction went inside a smaller room to have the customary introductory meeting of their own, created to welcome new members. When the last person entered, the door slammed shut and multiple wards went up as the occupants evaluated each other. Lady Bones spoke up first, internally snickering at the thinly veiled disdain she could see in the eyes of her friends, a look that lasted throughout the main meeting and into this.

"Brie, Luca, may I introduce to you the leaders of the Wizengamot; Chief Warlock and Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, the Minister of Magic Rufus Scrimgeour, Lady Augusta Longbottom and Lord Amos Diggory of the Light, my co-Leader Lord Hadrian Greengrass of the Neutral, Lord Corvus Lestrange and Lady Melisandre Zabini of the Dark." The Lord and Lady dipped their heads in greeting.

"I think I can speak for both of us when I say it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I'm afraid that we do have a less pleasant matter to bring up," Luca spoke gravely, "though I do believe that Amelia will be better at explaining it to you."

Amelia nodded and began, "As you have probably figured out, Brie, Luca, and I have known each other for quite some time now; we met through a mutual friend for a personal issue." She ignored the glint in Dumbledore and the Minister's eyes that appeared at that revelation. "After the emergency meeting a week ago, I contacted Brie through our mutual friend, and she has agreed to help us."

Brie took over, "5 years ago, the ICW began to work with the mundane UN in attempting to put together a specialized group of people designed to take care of the issues that regular groups would not be as effective in resolving it. It was only recently decided that these groups would be fully briefed on the many different societies that now exist, including the Wizarding World."

Steamrolling over the protests from the leaders, she continued, "There was a major issue last spring that caused the early creation of the first team, a roll of the dice which turned out to be a success. My and Luca's line of work puts us in a position that puts us in contact with the organization that supervises this particular team, and they have agreed to assist in your war."

Upon seeing the skeptical looks on their faces, Luca cut in, "This team, while small, is comprised of people with special abilities or training that set them apart from the rest of the world. Brienne and I have seen them in action and can fully vouch for their abilities. Amelia has also informed us on how these… Death Eaters operate, and we can confidently state that they are well equipped to assist in this issue."

* * *

_(same day) 7 PM GMT, [location redacted]_

The flight to England was mostly spent in silence only interrupted by the occasional updates from the cockpit, where the SHIELD pilot was navigating the airspace with Clint's assistance. The rest of the group was in the back looking through the packets they had been given, which weren't as helpful as they had thought- it seemed like it was just only a _bit_ more detailed than Fury's briefing.

Despite that, they could read through the lines _(or at least draw conclusions given the few details they were given)_: while most of the Magical communities around the world have integrated into the general government, the one in Britain (despite it being a major world power) was highly insular, xenophobic, misogynistic, racist- basically, they were extremely narrow-minded, lazy, and had no ability to think for themselves. The Avengers were called in because of their mainstream fame, which would force the British enclaves into the open.

As predicted, the flight didn't take more than a few hours, the pilot landing the plane onto the private airport just around 7. The group gathered their stuff and exited the aircraft, the pilot quickly taking off and flying back to the Helicarrier behind them. Looking around at the seemingly isolated small airport, they could only see a single building in front of them and a lone road coming towards it, leading to who-knows-where.

Naturally, it was Clint who broke the silence. "Um, did Fury by any chance mention _who_ it is that we are supposed to meet up with? Also, where the hell are we?"

"You're around an hour away from the center of London," the group whirled around, ready to fight, only to see three people standing in front of them- one male, who spoke without looking up from a tablet that he was typing on, and two females, "and I can't say I'm surprised that the pirate didn't think to tell you exactly who it is you are meeting up with."

Natasha narrowed her eyes, feeling a small degree of recognition with the nickname the man had given Fury, but quickly brushed it off. "Would you mind enlightening us?"

The redhead stepped forward, "My name is Amelia Bones, though I do believe the Director referred to me as Agent Clarke from CTL," pausing as the Avengers visibly relaxed (though not by much), "I do ask that you refer to me with my given name, especially once we enter the enclaves."

Steve stepped forward, hand outstretched. "Steve Rogers. We've been given the basics of this mission, but I do believe I can speak for the rest of my team in saying that it seems very… vague."

"Don't worry, Captain Rogers, there will be a more in-depth briefing as soon as we get to our first stop." Steve and Amelia shook hands while the other woman stepped forward, looking slightly exasperated at the behavior of the man _(which come to think of it, was oddly familiar)_. "Brienne Lyanna Peverell, though you can call me Brie," pausing as she shook hands with Steve, "and this idiot is my husband, Alessandro Luca Carbonell- call him Luca," introducing both herself and the man the team now knew to be her husband.

The rest of the team made their introductions, and the group made their way inside the building, which was surprisingly empty. Luca tucked the tablet away somewhere in his jacket and turned to the group.

"Sorry, there was an issue that had to be resolved, it couldn't wait," he ignored Brie's fond eye roll and continued, "Dr. Banner, try not to Hulk out, I've been told that my method of transportation is quite unsettling in the beginning."

The trio quickly grabbed the arms of two team members and twisted. The team felt the highly unpleasant sensation of being turned inside out and squeezed through a tube. It was over in a few seconds- they were left trying not to puke while the trio watched with mild amusement.

Surprisingly, Bruce didn't have any trouble holding back the Hulk.

"Welcome back, Sir and Mrs, Ms. Bones. I trust that the meetings went well?" The Avengers started, looking around in recognition as a familiar disembodied voice sounded, seemingly coming from everywhere. Bruce was the one to voice the name on all of their minds.

"JARVIS?"

* * *

**AN**

Is this another cliffhanger?

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter (hopefully it wasn't too tedious or boring- it is longer than usual). I was thinking about combining some of my shorter chapters to make things more even, do let me know your opinions about that!

okay, so confession time: I've fallen behind on writing the next chapters, and this is the last chapter I have prewritten. So, while y'all can expect an update next week, the schedule is probably going to be really erratic afterward. I'll try to get a chapter out every 1-2 weeks, but no promises :/

As usual, constructive criticism is highly welcomed!

Have a good day!


	7. Explain

James turned around suspiciously, only for his jaw to drop in surprise, the rest of the team imitating his reaction to various degrees when they saw what, or rather,_ who _had James so shocked.

In the places of Luca and Brie stood Tony and Pepper, while Amelia was rolling her eyes and Pepper had a mildly apologetic expression on her face. They stood in somewhat awkward silence as they waited for the team to recover.

"I- you- you are- what?!" Steve managed to get out.

Taking pity on them, Tony explained a bit, "Yes, Pepper and I haven't shown everything that we can do, but for now, yes , I am Luca and she is Brie. Just- explore for a bit, you're just staying overnight so don't get too settled. I promise you, explanations will happen, but over dinner- you all look like you're dead on your feet. What the hell did you do before this?" He muttered the last part, turning and walking away.

Pepper rolled her eyes as Amelia nodded at the team and followed him, "Ignore him, we've had an… interesting day," she eyed them critically, "seriously, explore for a bit, get settled, come to the kitchen for dinner in 45 minutes." The team nodded dazedly; she stared them down, and left in the same direction, leaving the team standing there.

"Well, we're not going to learn anything now, might as well explore." Natasha picked up her bag and went off, muttering in Russian under her breath. That shook the rest of the team out of their daze as they followed, separating to explore the penthouse that they were in.

* * *

"Holy crap." Clint blurted, standing frozen in the common room with the team behind him, all watching the spectacle in front of him. Plates, pots, pans, knives, bowls, and so much food was flying through the air, all controlled by the two witches who were standing in the middle like a conductor of a symphony. All the while Tony was sitting at the table with holograms pulled up all around him and arguing with someone on the phone.

"- and I swear to whatever gods exist in the world, you will not be able to recover from this if you continue. And I _will_ do my best to make sure you are never able to pull a stunt like this, ever." Tony ended the call and closed the holograms. He turned around, his irritated expression melting away into genuine amusement when he saw the team standing in the middle of the room, mouths gaping.

"Close your mouths, you're catching flies," he stood up and motioned them over, "now come here, sit down, and eat. Again, I don't know what the hell you've been doing since Pepper and I left, but you need food."

Dazedly, the team walked over to the table, where dishes were plating themselves and gently landing on the table. Mouths watering, the team dug into the massive international feast, with many unfamiliar foods (which is really saying something about the trio's experience abroad- there were dishes that even the spies and Bruce haven't seen before, and Tony and Pepper had introduced quite a large variety of international dishes to the team in the months they've been living together).

The food couldn't distract them from their questions, though, and questions were quickly being thrown around. Seemingly expecting this, Pepper rolled her eyes and moved to speak.

"You eat, let us talk. Questions after, capiche?" She didn't wait for the team's affirmation (no one was stupid enough to protest either) and continued, "this is a long-ass story, so I'm going to shorten it and have Amelia and Tony explain their involvement in this whole shitshow."

Taking a breath, she started.

* * *

The team learned Pepper isn't really Pepper, but Vanessa Brie Potter, somehow known to the Wix society as "Harriet Lily Potter," AKA "the Girl-Who-Lived"/"the Savior of the Wizarding World," and her personal favorite, "the-one-Magical-Britain-shoves-all-their-responsibilities-onto-and-blames-for-everything-which-makes-no-sense-but-it's-Magical-Britain-what-can-you-do."

_(Okay, she made that one up, but whatever.)_

They learned about her finding out about her heritage, her constant acting, the manipulations of the headmaster, the lies told by her not-really-friends Miss Hermione Granger and Mr. Ron Weasley (who seems to be obsessed with her, Tony noted. He knows she doesn't need to be protected, but he nonetheless is going to do something about it). They learned about the absolute shitshow that were her years at Hogwarts, a school clearly so far behind and backward it should be closed and completely revamped, the utter incompetence of the large majority of adults in the British Wix world, the sexism, misogyny, and xenophobia that was deeply rooted in that society.

_(The team had already been briefed about the society, but this was the first time they were hearing of the true extent of their backwardness. It was astonishing to think that such society still exists in the world. They noticed Pepper had avoided talking about her home life, but they didn't push, sensing that this was already hard enough)_

She explained how she ended up in America 15 years in the past, how she survived the fight, and stopped, letting Tony take over. He explained his abilities, his relationships with SHIELD and Pepper, and the responsibilities of their roles given to them by Hela.

_(He also avoided talking about his childhood and relationship with his parents, but no one pointed it out. The team was smart enough to figure it out on their own.)_

Amelia took over, "I'm currently the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement as well as the Lady Bones. I've been working with SHIELD for quite some time, and I've only been read into Tony and Pepper's situation for a few years. My designation is Agent Clarke of the CTL department, which is, as Fury told you, made up of No-Majs, squibs, and magicals who are tasked with dealing with situations that affect both 'worlds.'" She paused, taking a sip of her coffee.

"The British enclaves are under the impression that I know Tony and Pepper through a mutual friend for a personal issue. Our story is that 'Alessandro' and 'Brienne' work in a high ranking position that puts them in contact with the ICW- the International Confederation of Wizards, the magical UN, if you will," she added, seeing their looks of confusion, "and the mundane UN. The two groups have been working together for the past five years to create teams of magicals and No-Majs specially trained to deal with incidents that require… specialized attention." She nodded at the team, "You guys are actually the first of these groups if you weren't told. That part of the story is entirely true."

Steve leaned forward, a crease between his eyebrows, "So, why us? Not that I'm complaining, but there clearly are other groups that are also designed to do this."

"Reasonable question," she paused, looking at Pepper questioningly, who motioned for her to continue from where she was leaning against Tony, "The Avengers were specifically chosen not only because of Tony and Pepper's affiliation with you but also because you have garnered the most public attention. SHIELD, the UN, the ICW, and governments all around the world have been waiting for an opportunity to drag Britain into the 21st century and the public eye. With your involvement, the public is going to pay more attention to the situation. The idea is to put attention on the British Wix society so that they will have no choice but to comply with the world's demands."

"That, and everyone and their mother wants to take Wizarding Britain down a peg from their irrational and self-fabricated ideas of superiority over No-Majs and the rest of the world," Pepper broke in.

The team slowly nodded, in a daze while trying to absorb this information dump.

"It's been a wild day for y'all, let's call it a night, alright? There isn't anything urgent for now, just take the night to absorb everything. There are still more opportunities for questions, and I do believe tomorrow will be quite busy," she continued, standing up and gently ushering them to their rooms.

She walked back to the common area where Amelia and Tony were lounging and leaned next to Tony. They sat in silence, only broken by their breathing. All three couldn't help but anticipate what's coming.

_This is going to be a shitshow, but I'm going to enjoy every second of it._

* * *

***AN***

OH MY GOD I'M SO SORRY akfaldsjkfadsa

I had intended to update back in March when school initially shut down, but I honestly couldn't find the motivation to do anything. I had reached the point in the story that I hadn't actually planned what I was going to have next, so I've been trying to put it off (oops).

Anyway, since I don't actually know where this is going to go (I hadn't anticipated this story being so popular! TYSM!), let's just say that this is probably going to be an absolute shitshow, and I'd like to throw out a disclaimer that I will probably be having random hiatuses during which I try to figure out where the hell I want to go with this.

To those that stuck with this, TYSM, I am so sorry, and hopefully with this chapter I'll have a better idea of what I'm going to do next.

I hope this chapter wasn't too much of a shitshow- I would have written out the whole explanation, but 1. I'm too lazy to, and 2. I feel like three giant ass sections of them explaining would be too tedious and boring and long and wordy and ranty so yeah.

Stay safe and healthy everyone!


	8. Reasons

_January 11th, 2013, Hogwarts, Headmaster's Office_

It didn't take too long for the rest of the Avengers to realize the true incompetence of the Order- how the hell do they expect to win with a no-violence, everyone-can-be-redeemed policy? Frankly, the dynamics of the vigilante group are terrifying, with everyone essentially fawning and being yes-(wo)men to Dumbledore- a manipulative old man possessing dangerous amounts of power and caught up in delusions of grandeur.

"- and thus, Miss Potter must be found and brought back here-" Dumbledore was cut off.

"Excuse me?" Steve asked, incredulous. "Can you explain how you went from talking about taking down Voldemort to saying that is why a girl- that has been missing for years during a period of war- needs to be found?" he asked, ignoring the flinches and shudders that were the reactions to his casual use of Voldemort's name.

With a grandfatherly twinkle in his eye (Steve and the Avengers could clearly see his annoyance behind it), Dumbledore explained, "She is alive, and it is of great import that she is brought back. She is vital to our cause-"

"Yeah, yeah, we get it, but we need you to explain why. We need a reason as to why we should focus on finding a girl who- as Steve mentioned already- went missing years ago _during a period of war_, instead of focusing on the big bad and taking him down so your _already crumbling_ society doesn't completely collapse." Clint broke in, ignoring the affronted looks of the Order at the description of their society as already crumbling. On the side, Brie was quietly standing and leaning on Luca who was casually leaning against the wall (and trying to ignore the filth and dirt on it), soaking up his presence and outwardly looking blank while internally trying to stay calm in the presence of people who had caused her so much pain.

"Also, how are you so sure that she's alive? Why is a teen girl so important to this war that by all counts _should_ be fought by _fully grown adults_?" Natasha added, resisting the urge to gouge the ogling men's eyes out (she's heard about the utter backwardness of Wix Britain, but these utterly lazy, inane, men- _boys_, one looking _barely_ out of high school- _all_ of them having been involved in some way in making her unofficial sister's life hell, ogling her was absolutely unbearable).

A red-haired, red-faced woman swelled up with outrage, "Who are you to question Dumbledore? He doesn't need to justify himself to you- you uppity group of Muggles. What exactly makes you so special that you think you can defeat You-Know-Who?"

_Ah, this must be Molly Weasley_, Luca thought. He had heard quite a bit about her and her likeness to a harpy, though he hadn't really believed it until now. He watched as the other Order members had flinched at her yells, which only stopped by the redhead male sitting next to her-_ must be Arthur Weasley, then_ \- putting his hand over her arm, causing her to deflate. He quickly scanned the room again, making note of the teens that (made his wife's life hell and the one that completely wasted her potential) have absolutely no business doing here and dismissing much of the crowd as unimportant and not a potential to be an actual threat.

"Madam, please calm yourself. We simply want to understand why you are prioritizing a teenage girl over defeating Voldemort as soon as possible. If you have an adequate reason, we are perfectly willing to aid you, however, you must understand, our first priority is to defeat Voldemort as soon as possible." Luca said, hiding his disdain for the woman. "I'm sure you all wish for his defeat as well, even more so since the Statute of Secrecy is being greatly threatened as well, with the increasing attacks on… Muggles, to use your word," he threw in, aware of their desire for secrecy and satisfied at their blanched looks _(but also internally rolling his eyes- seriously, how the hell are they that blind? )._

"I am well aware of the politics of this community and internationally, and I can say with great confidence that the ICW thinks this civil war has gone on for long enough and are preparing to send more reinforcements should we request so. We are aware you would not like international involvement, which is all the more reason for us to win this war as quickly as possible." He targeted his words to Dumbledore, knowing full well of his extreme aversion to involving the international community. He could see his words had the effect he wanted as he watched Dumbledore realize the true implications of the Avengers's presence.

Dumbledore sighed, acting as a weary old man with no other choice, "Very well, then." He paused, as if gathering his wits about him, and continued, reluctantly.

"Seventeen years ago, a prophecy was made about a Savior that was to be born with the power to defeat Voldemort." He stood up and pulled out a shallow, silvery bowl filled with some swirling luminescent, took his wand to his temple, and pulled, a glistening silver strand followed the tip and was dropped into the bowl.

(Luca and Brie stiffened when they saw the Elder wand, but relaxed when they remembered Hela had told them she had tied a glamour on another wand to fool Dumbledore. Clearly, it's still working, even years later. Brie took note of the Potter crest on the Pensieve, making a mental note to retake it when this mess was all over.)

He tapped the side of the bowl, and a figure rose out from the silvery mass, eyes unfocused and speaking in a raspy voice, _"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... and the Dark Lord will mark them as his equal, but they will have power the Dark Lord knows not... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies…"_

There was silence in the room, everyone processing what they just heard.

"Who spoke this prophecy?" James asked, skeptically.

"Sybill Trelawney, our current Divination professor at Hogwarts. She is the great-great-granddaughter of Cassandra Tre-" He was cut off by Brie, who was rolling her eyes.

"Sybill Trelawney is an old fraud. I've heard of her, and all she does is drink her sherry and spout 'predictions' that are only true ten percent of the time. For all you know she could have faked this… _prophecy_." Internally, she was seething. She had already known about the prophecy, of course, but any mention of it and the old fraud was enough to get her blood pressure up. Her life had been dictated and had been a living hell because of that "prophecy." Seeing Dumbledore about to patronize her, she decided to continue, partially out of genuine curiosity but mostly to minimize the time she has to hear his voice.

"Anyway, so you believe Miss Potter is this… _Savior_?" she finished with a disdainful note. "Let's say this is true. How exactly does she qualify? The prophecy is very vague- it doesn't state which year they would be born in, it doesn't state which calendar it's following, it doesn't say which Dark Lord- for all we know this could have been about a future one- and also, how do you know for sure it's for a girl? It wasn't specified."

Luca kept a hand around her waist and let her speak, knowing she needed to know the answers for sure. The Avengers could clearly see Dumbledore getting more frustrated, despite his attempts at hiding it. The objections and outrage of the other Order members were ignored by Dumbledore and Brie, who were making eye contact waiting for the other to fold, the other Avengers focusing on the pair, wanting answers as well.

"There were two possibilities," he reluctantly admitted, "Harriet Potter and Neville Longbottom. James and Lily Potter had escaped Voldemort three times in the past as had Frank and Alice Longbottom. Both of these children were due to be born at the end of July that year- and this community was small. They were the only ones. Voldemort, unfortunately, ended up attacking the Potter family, successfully killing James and Lily, but was killed by the rebounding killing curse he had fired at baby Harriet. His body was destroyed while his spirit fled, and Miss Potter was left with a lightning scar on her forehead- the mark."

Unsatisfied, Brie pressed on, "And what is this 'power the Dark Lord knows not'?"

"I'm afraid I cannot tell you that." He replied. There was an oppressive silence.

"Love," Dumbledore reluctantly caved, taken aback at Brie's unimpressed expression. The other Avengers nodded as if they understood, but couldn't help but mentally scoff- they don't deny the power of love, but that being the "power" that will defeat the Dark Lord? How would that work, love Voldemort do death?

Brie, incredulous, asked in retaliation, "So if the power is love, how exactly would she be defeating Voldemort? Nevermind, I don't need your answer." She cut him off before he could respond and continued ruthlessly, all the while trying to remain composed, "What's your interpretation of that last statement? 'And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives'?" She could feel Luca's trepidation and concern thrumming through their mental bond and sent back feelings of thanks for his worry and his help in keeping her grounded.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you that, that is to be between me and Miss Potter only," Dumbledore said, fake apologetically. Brie turned to look at Luca, communicating silently. He raised an eyebrow in question, only to nod and send feelings of comfort and acceptance through their bond at her resolute expression.

Turning back to Dumbledore, she continued to press him. "Can you tell us what it is that Miss Potter has to do, what her actual job is, in this war? What exactly will she be doing in order to 'vanquish the Dark Lord'?"

"I'm afraid I cannot tell you that," Dumbledore repeated, like a broken record.

Brie let out a sharp laugh, "If you're talking about his Horcruxes, I can tell you that they are already being taken care of by the Goblins. Seriously, for a supposed genius, you really are blind to what is in front of you."

* * *

***AN***

Hope y'all enjoyed this first interaction between the Order and the Avengers! Was that ending too sudden? This chapter probably could have been at least 2.5k words, but I felt like I should split it, and so I have the next chapter somewhat planned out, so you can hopefully expect that sometime in the next week- it won't be uploaded immediately as I do want to have some more time to figure out future chapters.

Summer vacation has started for me (honestly, with shelter-in-place, it's always felt like vacation+academic summer camp), so I can state pretty confidently that I will be writing more, though updates will still be random with no set schedule. This fic started out purely as self-indulgent and I didn't expect to get this far into the story.

At this point, I have vague ideas of how this is going to go, with some inspiration from other fanfictions that I will definitely credit. Honestly, I'm half expecting myself to give up on trying to hammer out a real plot and just turn this into a crack-taken-seriously fic that will be absolutely ridiculous in terms of the "plot," but I also do want to make this a proper fic as well. (I might just add another story into this series and make it the crack (maybe taken seriously) version of this story, so let me know if that interests y'all lmao)

Anyway, I hope y'all (I need to stop using "y'all", it's getting out of hand) have are staying safe and, if it applies to you, are also having a great summer break (so far)!


End file.
